


You and the Rain

by genkisakka



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: First Time, M/M, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-26
Updated: 2011-06-26
Packaged: 2017-10-20 18:02:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/215604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genkisakka/pseuds/genkisakka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Al finds his return to humanity both challenging and exhilarating, particularly with his older brother hovering over him in ways that make him twitchy for reasons best left unsaid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You and the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> I blame three people for my descent into Elricest: sekaiseifuku, who challenged me to write a 500-word Elricest drabble and didn't complain when I turned in a fic four times longer for her to beta; and kirathaune and evilchuckles, whose amazing Elricest fics from a couple months back inspired me to pick up a drabble I wrote a few years ago and expand upon it.

Alphonse hadn’t expected his return to his body to be easy. He knew his bones would be fragile and his muscles soft, and that he would need to nourish his body with good food and exercise if he were to recover his strength and health. It was a regimen he was eager to embrace, for it meant eating lots of meat and vegetables and fruits (and Winry’s apple pies), and drinking lots of milk, and sleeping for several blissful hours every single night. All of those were things near the top of the list he’d been keeping during those long years where he existed suspended in alchemically animated armor, fed only by his unwavering devotion to his stubborn, brilliant brother and their shared, steadfast belief in Al’s eventual return to humanity.

But no one had counted on how susceptible his weakened body would be to illness. In the six weeks and two days since Ed had brought him back through the Gate, Al had caught two colds, one of which developed into an ear infection, and had come down with a particularly nasty case of the flu after that. The constant bouts of sickness had slowed his recovery efforts to a glacial pace that tested even Al’s considerable patience, particularly given the endless hours he’d been forcibly bedridden by a fiercely overprotective older brother and kept there under the watchful gaze of an equally stubborn surrogate sister. Al knew they were just trying to take care of him, but all their hovering and fussing was starting to make him feel like a caged bird. How was Al ever going to get stronger if Ed wouldn’t even let him out of the house when he so much as sneezed?

A few days after the worst of his flu passed, Al decided it was time for a jailbreak. He woke from a fitful sleep to the rumble of thunder and the soft patter of raindrops on his bedroom window. He lay there in the dark listening to the rain, marveling at how different it sounded to his human ears, how much gentler than when it had pinged and bounced off the hollow metal of his suit of armor. He realized that in the weeks since he’d had his body back, he had not once been outside in the rain.

Thirty seconds later he was making his slow, awkward way down the front porch steps, taking care to plant his crutch firmly on each slick tread for support. He hadn’t even stopped to put on pajamas; he was that impatient to know what being rained on really felt like now that he was human again.

The initial battering of wind-blown rain took Al’s breath away, leaving a dozen tiny stings where the water lashed his bare flesh. He staggered a few steps down the path toward the front gate, but stopped when his crutch slipped and nearly sent him sprawling face-first into the mud. He was thinking maybe heading out into a storm hadn’t been such a good idea after all when the worst of the gust subsided and the rain began tapping a steady, soothing rhythm against his body.

Al raised his face and reveled in the needlelike pressure of the drops bouncing off his closed eyes, the slick chill of rainwater pouring down his cheeks and neck, the tickle of rivulets winding down his limbs and torso. He shifted onto the balls of his feet, reaching forward with a cupped hand, and noted the chafing pull of his soaked boxers where they caught and clung to his wet skin. He opened his mouth and lapped up the puddle of rain that had collected in his hand. It tasted different from the water Auntie drew from the well, though he was hard-pressed to put a name to the flavor. Sharp, maybe… like the whiff of ozone before a particularly close lightning-strike. He grinned and cupped his hands to gather more water, his earlier pique washed away by the wind and the water and the sheer joy of being alive in his own skin.

He heard the slap of Ed’s boots on the muddy path behind him, and turned to meet his brother with an apologetic smile. Ed stared unsmilingly into Al’s eyes for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. The motion caused the hood of his raincoat to fall back, and the rain quickly soaked his unbound blond hair, turning it bronze in the dim light.

“Al, you shouldn’t be out here in this storm,” Ed scowled. “You’re still getting your strength back. Winry’s afraid you’ll catch cold again.”

Ed carefully averted his gaze as he spoke, but Al hadn’t missed the anxious flicker in his eyes. Al found himself more amused than irritated by Ed’s weak attempt to conceal his own concern.

“You worry too much, nii-san,” Al replied.

“With good reason,” Ed snapped. “It’s only been a few days since your fever broke, and here you are standing in the rain in the middle of the night, practically naked, licking water off your hand and grinning like an idiot.”

Al chuckled at his brother’s gruff description. “I must look pretty stupid,” he agreed, adding eagerly –

“But nii-san, did you know that rain tastes different from well water? It’s like what wind and lightning would taste like, if you could eat them.”

Ed’s expression softened. He reached over and ruffled Al’s wet hair, and Al knew the lecture was over for now. Ed ran his tongue over his wet lips and was silent for a moment, considering.

“It does taste different,” he said. “Cleaner. A lot nicer than Central rain.”

“What does Central rain taste like?”

Ed made an exaggerated grimace. “Like dirty metal.”

Al wrinkled his nose. “Then I won’t be drinking any Central rain,” he said.

Ed chuckled. “Come on, dummy… Winry’ll never shut up about it if we both end up getting sick.”

“I’m done for now,” Al said. He began to turn around, but his crutch skidded out from under him, and Ed had to catch Al under the arms to keep him upright. The grip of Ed’s left hand was noticeably stronger than his right, and Al felt a pang of remorse for adding to his older brother’s physical burden.

“You okay, Al?” Ed asked. “You need to lean on me?”

Al’s legs trembled a bit with the effort of supporting his whole weight. “Yeah,” he admitted, slipping his right arm over Ed’s shoulders. Ed put his left arm around Al and guided them both slowly and carefully up the porch steps, pausing to grab the lantern he’d hung next to the door before continuing inside. The house was still enough that Al could hear the soft *plip* of water dripping from Ed’s raincoat onto the living room carpet, and the comforting creak of the back hall’s floor boards under Ed’s heavy tread. Al knew that Ed would face Winry’s wrath for not taking off his wet coat and muddy boots at the door, but he couldn’t quite summon the energy to nag Ed about it.

As if he’d read Al’s thoughts, Ed stopped just outside Al’s door and looked at his feet. “Ah shit… Winry’s gonna kill me,” he whispered, lifting each foot to examine the muddy prints he’d left behind.

“Not if you clean it up before morning,” Al reassured him. “I’ll be fine now – thanks for helping me inside.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Ed whispered back. “I’ll help you dry off and stuff – just give me a minute.” He handed the lantern to Al and quickly shucked off his coat, leaving it in a sodden heap in the middle of the hall. Al propped himself against the door frame and smirked at the sight of Ed, clad only in tank top and shorts, wrestling his boots off with a great deal of teeth-grinding and muttered cursing. He hadn’t even bothered with socks, Al noted, which made sense, given that his automail foot was prone to tearing holes in even the thickest wool. Ed wiggled the bare toes of his human foot, and Al observed the way the motion made Ed’s calf muscles flex. The sight made him shiver.

Ed jumped up and squeezed Al’s shoulders. “You’re cold,” he said. “C’mon…”

Al allowed himself to be led into the bathroom without protest. Ed sat him on the edge of the tub and pulled a clean towel from the linen closet. Al inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of sunshine and spring flowers lingering in the terrycloth folds. Ed slid the fabric in brisk strokes over Al’s damp skin, adding the fresh smell of rain to the fabric’s bouquet and setting off a flood of flutters in the pit of Al’s stomach. Al leaned forward with a contented sigh as Ed began massaging the towel in small circles over his scalp, closing his eyes so that he wouldn’t see how tantalizingly close the movement brought Ed’s mouth to his own.

“You were smart to cut your hair,” Ed observed. “It dries a whole hell of a lot quicker short.”

“We can cut yours right now if you want,” Al replied with an impish grin. “I’m sure Granny has some shears around here somewhere.”

Ed snorted. “Sure, give Winry one more thing to kill me over.” He balled up the towel and tossed it carelessly aside. “Okay, Al, that’s about as dry as it’s gonna get. Let’s get you into bed.”

He took Al’s hands to pull him upright, but Al tugged Ed toward him instead. “But nii-san, you’re still soaked… especially your hair.”

Ed shrugged. “Whatever. I’ll take care of it later.”

Al swallowed back the nervous tremors that threatened to rise from his stomach into his voice. “Let me dry it for you?” he asked.

Ed hesitated, narrowed eyes gleaming dark-gold in the dim lantern light. He nodded and dropped to his knees, offering Al the discarded towel. “Better to do it now before it tangles up – it’s a bitch to comb them out.”

“I’ll be careful,” Al promised. “Turn around – it’s easier for me to reach that way.”

Ed mumbled something about bossy younger brothers, but obediently dropped to a cross-legged seat between Al’s open knees. Al took a second to note the way the rain had darkened the fine blond strands to a wheat color closer to Al’s own, and the way the runoff from the ends traced shimmering paths along Ed’s smoothly muscled shoulders before being soaked up by his black tank. He was glad Ed couldn’t see the blush that had risen on his cheeks, or the way his boxers were beginning to tent in front.

Al dried the length in sections, gently squeezing the towel from ends to nape, occasionally allowing his fingertips to graze the soft skin on the back of Ed’s neck. He then used the towel to massage Ed’s scalp in short, straight strokes, taking care not to add any more twists or tangles than Ed already had. Ed leaned his head into Al’s touch with little hums of pleasure, and Al prayed Ed wouldn’t lean back too far and put them both in an extremely awkward situation.

Al finished with a few rubs behind Ed’s ears and draped the towel over the tub’s side. “Thanks, Al… that felt great,” Ed sighed, tipping his head back and giving Al an upside-down grin.

Al toyed with a handful of Ed’s hair and gave it a playful tug. “Want me to braid it?” he said over Ed’s protesting yelp.

“Nah, just tie it back -- _gently_ ,” Ed added darkly as Al began gathering his brother’s hair into a loose tail. “Here, you can use this bit of shoelace.” He pressed a thin piece of black leather against the back of Al’s hand.

“Wait… I’m not ready yet.” As much as Al didn’t want Ed to see the completely inappropriate physical effect of his older brother’s proximity, Al couldn’t resist the opportunity to catalog the feeling of Ed’s hair in his hands. It wasn’t just the color that was different from Al’s own, he thought… even damp, its texture was so silky, and it slipped so softly through Al’s fingers.

“What the fuck am I, a doll?” Ed grumbled. “Stop playing with my hair already.” He poked Al’s hand with the leather shoelace again.

“Sorry,” Al said automatically, smoothing the strands into a sleek ponytail with one hand and using the other to loop the bit of leather tightly around it. He couldn’t resist tying the ends into a perky little bow at the base of Ed’s neck. Ed reached around and patted it experimentally, and Al explained--

“I know you usually wear it higher, but this way won’t be as uncomfortable for sleeping.”

Ed’s fingers traced the knot, and the loops that framed it, with a vengeful scowl. “For that, you _die_ ,” he said. In a flash he had Al in a headlock, which Al broke with careless, laughing ease.

“You want to look pretty for Winry, don’t you?” Al teased, pinning Ed’s hands behind his back before he could undo the bow. Ed growled and wrenched one hand free to give Al’s ear a painful tweak, and the wrestling match was on. Just like in the old days, Al thought as he fought to pin Ed to the tiled floor. While Ed had always been the more talented alchemist, he rarely bested Al in sparring, and Al wasn’t about to see that change even in his weakened state.

“Got you,” Al sang victoriously as both of Ed’s shoulders touched the floor.

“Not yet,” Ed retorted. He pressed his right knee against Al’s abdomen to push him off, but the motion caused his shin to brush against Al’s crotch, and Al gasped at the bolt of pleasure that shot through his groin. Crap, he’d completely forgotten about _that_ , Al thought as Ed reversed their positions.

“Al, are you okay?” Ed asked. “Did I hurt you?” He pressed his fingertips to Al’s abdomen, and Al bit back a groan that had nothing to do with pain.

“N- no,” he gasped. “I’m fine…”

Ed touched Al’s cheek. “Your face is all red,” he observed, his voice taut with worry. “I kneed you too hard, didn’t I? Can you breathe? What can I do?”

 _Touch me again,_ Al thought. But no… he couldn’t say that… shouldn’t want that. His mind struggled to come up with some excuse that would allow him to escape this situation with his dignity intact and Ed none the wiser.

But Ed’s scrutiny had already discovered what Al so desperately wanted to hide. “Oh, I see now,” he said, with just a hint of a big-brother smirk. “Good to know that _that’s_ working normally.”

“Nii-san!” Al squeaked. He feared his blush would burn the skin right off his cheekbones.

Ed crouched next to Al and patted him on the shoulder. “Aw, it’s no big deal, little brother,” he said. “Happens to all us guys. Hell, happens to me at least 15 times a day.”

Al propped himself up on his elbows. “Now you’re just making fun of me,” he scowled.

Ed snickered. “Maybe a little,” he admitted. “But really, it’s perfectly fine, Al. Don’t be embarrassed.” He added with a wink—

“You want a little privacy? I can clean up out there while you take care of your situation.”

As Ed started to rise, Al grabbed his hand without thinking, and blurted –

“Nii-san… please don’t go.”

Ed froze. Al swallowed hard as his brother weighed the implications of Al’s request. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for Ed’s inevitable rejection. _“We’re brothers, Al… it’s not right… there’s Winry…”_

“Al. Look at me.”

Al obeyed the softly spoken command. Ed’s expression was serious, his golden gaze steady. “Tell me what you want,” Ed said in that same soft tone that sent shivers up Al’s spine.

“I…” Al faltered. “I want…” His chest was so tight it hurt to speak. “Nii-san. I know I shouldn’t… but…” His eyes stung with unshed tears, and he blinked rapidly, trying to force them back.

Ed made a choked sound and pulled Al onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him tightly. “Shh, Al… don’t cry, it’s okay,” he soothed. Al buried his face in the crook of Ed’s neck and breathed deeply, drinking in the scent of rain and sweat and automail grease, and basking in the warmth of Ed’s embrace. It was enough, Al thought, it had to be.

But then Ed whispered in his ear –

“I’ve thought about it, too.”

Al’s breath caught. “What?” he whispered back.

“Touching you.” Ed’s lips grazed Al’s ear as he spoke. “Your body… Al, it’s a miracle. So beautiful, so alive. I can hardly believe it sometimes.” His voice grew huskier. “I want to touch every inch of you… make sure you’re really here… make up for those years you were all alone.”

Al’s flagging erection reasserted itself with a vengeance. “Nii-san,” he breathed, lifting his face to Ed’s. “Show me.”

Ed kissed Al gently, running his thumb over Al’s lower lip. “You taste like the rain,” Ed said.

“You taste better than rain,” Al replied. Ed’s thumb slipped into his mouth as Al spoke, and Al sucked and nibbled it until Ed groaned and withdrew it, replacing it with his mouth. Al opened his lips in response, and Ed’s tongue slipped inside Al’s mouth to taste and touch and tease. Al buried his hands in Ed’s hair, stroking it in time with the strokes of Ed’s tongue against his own. By the time they came up for air, Al’s penis was rock-hard and weeping, and he could feel Ed’s answering hardness pressed against his backside.

Ed cradled Al in his arms and stood up. “Bed,” he said as Al kissed him again, then traced Ed’s lips with the tip of his tongue. Ed lurched out the door, stumbling over his boots as Al kissed a path down the side of his neck, licking stray droplets of rain along the way. The taste of the rain on Ed’s skin was more intoxicating than wine, Al thought.

Ed made it into Al’s room and deposited Al on the bed, where he grabbed the waistband of Al’s boxers and tugged them down impatiently. Al cried out as the fabric caught against the sensitive tip, making his entire body ache with the need to feel Ed’s hands there instead.

“No, nii-san… don’t stop,” he gasped as Ed pulled away from Al with that infuriatingly concerned expression. “Please, please don’t stop.”

Ed shed his tank and shorts with impressive speed. “Couldn’t if I tried,” he said breathlessly, kneeling beside Al on the bed. Al had seen Ed naked hundreds of times, but not like this – his lean frame vibrating with tension, his skin glistening with rain and sweat, his long, thick erection bobbing just inches from Al’s hand. Ed’s eyes were blazing with a mix of lust and possessiveness, filling Al with a searing desire that made him moan and writhe before Ed even laid a finger on him. He reached for Ed’s penis, but Ed pushed his hand aside and straddled him, using his legs to pin Al’s arms to his sides.

“I promised to touch every inch of you,” Ed said with a wicked smile, tracing the planes and valleys of Al’s chest with one maddeningly slow fingertip.

“So evil, nii-san,” Al gasped. He arched his body into Ed’s touch, and Ed cried out as the motion rubbed Ed’s erection against Al’s chest.

Al smirked up at Ed. “Is that what you meant by every inch?” Al asked innocently.

“Dammit, Al,” Ed groaned as Al rocked against him. “Can’t last if you do that…”

“Don’t want to,” Al demanded, punctuating the statement with a particularly vigorous upward thrust that drew a few curses from Ed. “So close, nii-san… feel like I might fly apart,” Al begged. “Please, nii-san… touch me _there_.”

“Fuck yeah,” Ed declared, releasing Al’s arms and sliding down the bed to kneel at Al’s hip. “Al, look at you,” he marveled, his fingers fluttering like feathers along Al’s length. Al rocked into Ed’s teasing touch with a pleading whimper, and Ed ran his thumb over the crown, smearing it with the fluid that had accumulated there. Ed locked eyes with Al and licked his thumb with a wanton expression that prompted Al to grab Ed’s hand and get his own taste. The sight made Ed growl Al’s name and lean over to kiss him again, sucking on Al’s tongue and swallowing his moans as he began stroking Al’s erection in earnest. Al wriggled beneath Ed and reached between them to grab hold of Ed’s penis, mimicking his older brother’s grip and rhythm. He arched his back again so that their erections brushed together, and the resulting surge of heated pleasure was almost more than he could bear. Never in all the years he’d spent without the senses of taste, smell, and touch had he imagined that anything could make him feel like this.

“Nii-san… oh… ohhhh, nii-san,” he crooned, almost sobbing with relief as he came all over Ed’s penis and hand. A few more strokes and Ed was coming as well, moaning Al’s name as his spend mingled with Al’s.

“Al… so good,” he panted, collapsing face-down on Al’s chest. Al looped a lazy arm around Ed, inhaling deeply. The room stank of sweat and sex, and a breeze through the open window mixed in the scent of rain. Al thought he’d never smelled anything so glorious in his life. Ed’s breathing had taken on the slow, deep quality of sleep, and Al felt his heart contract painfully at the thought that Ed might regret what they’d done when he awoke.

“Please forgive me, nii-san,” he whispered, kissing the top of Ed’s head.

“For what?” Ed’s voice was sleepy, but it didn’t mute the glare he shot at Al. “Don’t be stupid… I didn’t do anything I didn’t want to.”

“But what about…” Al trailed off, not sure how Ed would react if he mentioned Winry at a moment like this. He knew how Ed felt about her, even if Ed was still loath to admit it publicly, and Winry clearly had given her heart to Ed years ago. Al himself loved Winry like a sister, and he didn’t want to hurt her.

Ed rolled onto his side and touched his finger to Al’s lips. “I know how this looks to the rest of the world,” he said. “But Al, you and me… after all we’ve been through, we’re halves of a whole. I can’t help thinking it’s different for us.” He took a steadying breath, but his voice still shook as he added –

“And I love you so fucking much, Al. I would do anything… _anything_ … to make you happy.”

“Nii-san,” Al whispered, a few tears trickling down his cheeks. “I love you, too… more than anything in the world. I never want us to be apart again. But I don’t want to stand in the way of the things you want.”

Ed kissed away Al’s tears. “Right now, I have everything I could want,” he said, snuggling back into Al’s embrace with a yawn. “You and the rain, Al.”

Al watched as Ed’s face relaxed and his breathing grew deep and even. “You and the rain, nii-san,” he echoed softly as he followed Ed into sleep.

~end~


End file.
